Making meaningful music

Published 1:00 am, Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Feliciano, 28, formerly of Danbury, worked in 1999 with children in Costa Rica whose parents can no longer take care of them because they are alcoholics or drug addicts. From 2001 to 2002, Feliciano worked at Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, where she counseled high-risk inner city kids.

Having been blessed with a loving, supportive family, "I feel a responsibility to share all the love that was put in my life and all the caring and concern and share it with people who don't have it," she said.

So Feliciano decided to meld her love of singing and helping others her faith while taking a break from medical school this year. She has produced a jazz Christmas CD called "A Soulful Season."

The proceeds go to the Angel Tree ministry, which connects local churches with local correctional institutions.

Inmates are asked if they would like to give a gift to their children in their name. Church members are given the children's age and what they like and then buy gifts.

For the last seven or eight years, members from Feliciano's church, Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, have given gifts through the Angel Tree program, which is how she learned about it.

This year, her church members will provide gifts for about 250 to 300 children.

"The children are completely innocent," Feliciano said. "They did nothing to deserve that life."

Feliciano, who nows lives in Queens, N.Y., has always dreamed of recording a professional CD.

Her love for singing began early in life. She started singing songs from the radio at age 2.

When she was 12, she started voice lessons. While attending Taft Boarding School in Watertown, she sang in and directed an acappella group that recorded a CD.

She has studied voice in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, but it always was just a hobby.

Living in Manhattan at different times between 1996 to 2002, she auditioned for Broadway musicals and got several call backs for leading roles.

On Sunday, Niro Satchi Feliciano will sing songs from her CD accompanied by pianist Adam DePasquale of Ridgefield, who is her church's assistant pastor of worship. The performance is at the Walnut Hill Community Church, 156 Walnut Hill Road in Bethel, and starts around 7:15 p.m., after the 6 p.m. service. It is free and open to the public.
She attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and Columbia University in New York from 1994 to 1998. She got married in May 2003.

This year, with her husband, Ed, doing his orthopedics surgery residency, she decided to take a year off to spend more time with him.

Always liking to stay busy, she came up with the idea to do a CD to raise money for the Angel Tree program in October.

She started recording her CD during the second week in November. She spent 16 hours doing all the vocals so she could have it out in time for the Christmas season.

It includes 10 Christmas songs, such as "Let It Snow," and "O Come O Come Emmanuel."

The soprano/alto singer's voice combines perfectly with the accompanying jazz trio, which includes Nick Bariluk, a pianist from Ridgefield who also did the music arrangements for the CD; and a bassist and a drummer.

"The holidays are so stressful. This is relaxing so you can throw it on to entertain with," said Feliciano.

The $13 CD is on sale at the Merle Norman Cosmetics store at the Danbury Fair mall or at the office at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel. People can also listen to some songs and order the CD at www.a-soulfulseason.com

At church events last weekend, Feliciano sold more than 200 CDs.

Her church family, she said, has really given her the support and affirmation she needed to make the CD.

"They allow you to use whatever gift you have to such a high level," she said.

She goes back to the church at least twice a month even though she now lives in Queens.

"My faith is definitely the most important thing in my life," she said. "I can't imagine life without it."

One of her goals with the CD is to communicate her faith in Christ to others.

"She just radiates the love of Christ," said church pastor Joel Eidsness. The CD is "a wonderful way to make Christmas for a kid who has very little," he added.

Her family is proud.

Krishanthi Satchi, 22, of Danbury, Feliciano's sister, vocal produced the CD. Her other sister, Dushayanthi, 25, of New York City, has been a constant source of encouragement.